Armenian Catholic Patriarch Meets Pope Leo XIV, Discuss Middle East and Lebanon Visit

ROME — Patriarch Raphael Bedros XXI Minassian, Catholicos-Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church of Cilicia, met with Pope Leo XIV on Saturday at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican.

During the meeting, they held in-depth discussions on the situation of the Armenian Catholic Church and the challenges it is facing in this critical period.

The conversation also addressed urgent issues affecting Lebanon and the broader Middle East, amid escalating political, humanitarian, and spiritual crises.

At the end of the meeting, Patriarch Minassian extended an invitation to Pope Leo XIV to visit Lebanon at the earliest opportunity, stressing the importance of his pastoral presence given the current circumstances.

Pope Leo XIV expressed great interest in the unique model of coexistence between Christians and Muslims in Lebanon, emphasizing the need to support and strengthen it as a foundation for peace and stability in the region.

This meeting reflected the depth of the spiritual partnership between the Holy See and the Armenian Catholic Church, as well as their shared commitment to a message of hope and unity in the face of adversity.